AEGEAN Airlines increases its shareholding in Animawings, consolidating its presence on the Romanian aviation market
AEGEAN Airlines announces the increase of its participation in Animawings, the airline founded in 2020 by the owner of Christian Tour - Memento Group, from 25% to 51%. AEGEAN will share the management of the airline with Memento Group, contributing with its expertise, to consolidate its operational activities.
This is the second phase of AEGEAN's involvement in the development of Animawings, a process initiated since the beginning of 2020, when AEGEAN acquired a 25% stake in the airline founded by Memento Group. For more than 12 years, Christian Tour, the main tour operator in Romania, has been an important and long-term customer of AEGEAN, with numerous charter flights from Romania to Greece. The total investment on behalf of AEGEAN for the 51% stake in Animawings amounts to 1.3 million euros.
In the summer of 2022, Animawings will operate with 3 aircraft from the AEGEAN fleet. The flight program will mainly support the leisure segment in Romania, both with charter flights and with scheduled flights. The schedule for 2022 will be announced by mid-November and is expected to further support tourism to Greece and the Mediterranean area. AEGEAN will oversee and support operational activities, while commercial aspects will continue to be carried out mainly by Memento Group.
Dimitris Gerogiannis, CEO of AEGEAN, stated: “The long-term partnership successfully developed together with Christian Tour is transforming into a common business in Romania. We strongly believe in the potential of the Romanian market and in the capabilities of our partner Memento Group. We will continue with careful steps, gradually, focusing on quality services for Animawings passengers and, as always, we will focus on supporting Greek tourism. Strong and long-lasting partnerships are part of our DNA and we consider them a precondition for the new post-pandemic era.”
Cristian Pandel, Founder of Animawings and President of Memento Group, added: “Animawings is ready to move into the second phase of its development and we are very confident that expanding the partnership with AEGEAN will bring many benefits in imposing our company as a top player on the local and regional aviation market. AEGEAN's involvement will continue and increase in the next period, bringing support and know-how in all departments of our company, through specialists with extensive experience in various processes and systems specific to aviation. Animawings will remain a Romanian company, with its operational center in our country along with all the other divisions of the Memento Group and will continue to operate, proudly, under the Romanian flag. "